---
title: "Croquetas de Jamón"
id: "3757"
type: "recipe"
slug: "croquetas-de-jamon"
published_at: "2026-10-27T12:56:42+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-10-27T12:56:42+00:00"
url: "https://beestrot.com/recipe/croquetas-de-jamon/"
markdown_url: "https://beestrot.com/recipe/croquetas-de-jamon.md"
excerpt: "Croquetas de Jamón"
taxonomy_category:
  - "Appetizers"
  - "Dairy and Eggs"
  - "Frying"
  - "Leisurely (+ 60 min)"
  - "Meat and Poultry"
  - "Mediterranean"
  - "Party and Events"
  - "Snacks"
  - "Spanish"
  - "Special Occasions"
---

[by Jean Louis](https://beestrot.com/author/jean-louis/)
• 📅 Last modified on October 27, 2026

Table of Contents

- [• Recipe Overview](#recipe-overview)
- [• Recipe Information](#recipe-metadata)
- [• Time & Quantities](#recipe-time-quantities)
- [• Method & Ingredients](#recipe-method)
  - [- Ingredients](#ingredients-section)
  - [- Instructions](#instructions-section)

- [• Storage & Make-Ahead](#recipe-storage)
- [• Nutritional & Dietary Information](#recipe-nutrition)
- [• Serving & Variations](#recipe-serving)
- [• Video to Share!](#recipe-video)

# Croquetas de Jamón

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![Croquetas de Jamon](https://beestrot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Croquetas-de-Jamon.jpg "Croquetas de Jamón 1")

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Spain without croquetas would be like France without baguettes - technically possible but spiritually impoverished. These golden-crumbed tubes of molten creamy bechamel studded with hand-cut jamón are found in every bar, every home kitchen, and every school cafeteria in Spain. The recipe is one of those deceptively simple preparations that reveals a thousand small techniques the more you make them. The key is a thick bechamel with the courage to be dense enough to shape when cold, and the patience to let it chill overnight before forming. Every Spanish abuela has a version that her grandchildren claim is the best in the world. They are all right.

Difficulty:★★★☆☆(Medium)

Budget: 💰💰

Seasonality: Year-round

### Recipe Information [#](#)

**Categories:**

[Appetizers](https://beestrot.com/focus/courses/appetizers/)
[Dairy and Eggs](https://beestrot.com/focus/ingredients/dairy-and-eggs/)
[Frying](https://beestrot.com/focus/cooking-methods/frying/)
[Leisurely (+ 60 min)](https://beestrot.com/focus/time-to-table/leisurely-60-min/)
[Meat and Poultry](https://beestrot.com/focus/ingredients/meat-and-poultry/)
[Mediterranean](https://beestrot.com/focus/cuisines/mediterranean/)
[Party and Events](https://beestrot.com/focus/occasions/party-and-events/)
[Snacks](https://beestrot.com/focus/courses/snacks/)
[Spanish](https://beestrot.com/focus/cuisines/spanish/)
[Special Occasions](https://beestrot.com/focus/occasions/special-occasions/)

**Tags:** [Creamy](https://beestrot.com/tags/creamy/)
 [Crispy](https://beestrot.com/tags/crispy/)
 [Crowd-Pleaser](https://beestrot.com/tags/crowd-pleaser/)
 [Crunchy](https://beestrot.com/tags/crunchy/)
 [Freezer-Friendly](https://beestrot.com/tags/freezer-friendly/)
 [Hand-Crafted](https://beestrot.com/tags/hand-crafted/)
 [Make-Ahead](https://beestrot.com/tags/make-ahead/)
 [Rich](https://beestrot.com/tags/rich/)
 [Savory](https://beestrot.com/tags/savory/)
 [Traditional](https://beestrot.com/tags/traditional/)

**Religious Considerations:** Not halal (contains pork/jamón)

**Recipe Source:** Traditional Spanish Recipe

 Print this Recipe

### Time & Quantities [#](#)

**Preparation:** 30 mins

**Cooking:** 30 mins

**Total:** 60 mins

**Serves:** 20

**Preparation-to-Cooking Ratio:** 1Equal time spent on preparation and cooking.

### Method & Ingredients [#](#)

**Required Equipment:** Medium saucepan, wooden spoon, shallow baking dish for chilling, three shallow bowls for breading station, deep pot or skillet for frying

[Cuisinart 1.5 Quart Saucepan w/Cover](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008CM69/?tag=beestrot08-20)

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**Cooking Method:** Frying

#### Ingredients

- 100g jamón serrano or ibérico (finely chopped)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion (very finely minced)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (plus more for coating)
- 3 cups whole milk (warm)
- pinch of nutmeg
- salt and white pepper
- 2 eggs (beaten) for coating
- 1.5 cups fine dry breadcrumbs (panko works well)
- oil for deep frying

#### Instructions

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced onion and cook very gently for 10 minutes until completely soft and translucent - not browned at all.
2. Add chopped jamón and stir 1 minute. Add flour all at once and stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. The mixture will look like cement. This is correct.
3. Begin adding warm milk a ladleful at a time / stirring constantly after each addition until fully incorporated before adding more. This is the meditative part of croqueta-making - about 15 minutes of rhythmic stirring. Put on good music.
4. Once all milk is incorporated / continue stirring over medium-low heat for 5 more minutes until the bechamel pulls away from the sides of the pan in a thick mass. Season with nutmeg / salt / and white pepper. Taste the filling - it should be aggressively well-seasoned since it will be encased in bland crumbs.
5. Pour into a shallow oiled baking dish / press plastic wrap directly onto the surface / and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours). The cold rest is non-negotiable - warm bechamel cannot be shaped.
6. Set up a breading station: flour / beaten egg / breadcrumbs. Using two spoons or damp hands / shape portions of cold bechamel into cylinders about 3 cm long. Roll in flour / then egg / then breadcrumbs. A double-coat of egg and breadcrumbs gives you a thicker crunchier crust - worth the extra step.
7. Heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry croquetas in batches for 2-3 minutes until deep golden brown all over. They go from pale to perfect to exploded quickly - watch them.
8. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately while the interior is still molten.

### Storage & Make-Ahead [#](#)

**Storage Advice:** Breaded uncooked croquetas refrigerate up to 24 hours. Fried croquetas are best eaten immediately - reheated croquetas lose their crunch.

**Make-Ahead & Freezing Tips:** Freeze breaded uncooked croquetas on a tray / then transfer to a bag. Fry directly from frozen at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 4-5 minutes. They emerge perfect and this is one of the great freezer emergency solutions in any household.

### Nutritional & Dietary Information [#](#)

**Nutritional Information:**

- **Calories:** 95
- **Protein:** 4g
- **Fat:** 5g (Saturated: 2g)
- **Carbohydrates:** 9g (Fiber: 0g / Sugar: 1g)
- **Vitamin A:** 4% DV
- **Vitamin C:** 0% DV
- **Calcium:** 6% DV
- **Iron:** 4% DV

**Allergen Information:** Contains gluten (flour / breadcrumbs) / dairy (butter / milk) / eggs. May contain pork (jamón).

**Dietary Information:** Contains gluten / dairy / and eggs. Not suitable for gluten-free / dairy-free / vegan / or pork-free diets.

### Serving & Variations [#](#)

**Serving Suggestions:** Arrange on a wooden board with small bowls of alioli and spicy bravas sauce for dipping. Serve 3-4 per person as a tapa. A final sprinkle of flaky sea salt just before serving wakes everything up.

**Wine or Drink Pairing:** A cold glass of Manzanilla from Bodegas Hidalgo-La Gitana is the Platonic ideal pairing - the sherry's saline nuttiness and the jamón bechamel create a combination that has been making Spaniards happy for generations. A chilled glass of young Rioja Blanco works beautifully too.

**Possible Recipe Variations:** Beestrot Signature: Brown the butter until nutty and hazelnut-colored before adding the onion - the noisette butter adds a depth that makes the bechamel taste like it has been cooking all day when it has only been cooking 20 minutes. Variations: Croquetas de Bacalao - replace jamón with desalted salt cod for a coastal version popular in the Basque Country. Croquetas de Pollo - use leftover roast chicken instead of jamón for a milder everyday version. Mushroom and Truffle Croquetas - wild mushrooms with truffle oil for a vegetarian version that holds its own at any table.

**Additional Notes:** The overnight chill is truly mandatory - do not try to rush this step. The bechamel must be cold and firm enough to hold its shape during breading. Room-temperature or even fridge-cold-but-not-overnight filling tears and deforms.

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Disclosure: This recipe may contain affiliate links. This means we may earn a commission if you click on a link and make a purchase at no extra cost to you. This applies to featured Amazon products or any other Beestrot's partners. I only link to products I would actually use in my own kitchen. Thank you for your support! Jean Louis.

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